Excerpt from The Dark Monolith: Heroes of Ravenford Book 3

Here is a short excerpt from the third book in the Heroes of Ravenford Series, The Dark Monolith. The book is slated for publishing sometime in early 2015:

Donnie fell back into a defensive stance, slowly backpedaling, hoping to draw the remaining creatures away from Ruka. It worked. He had the undisputed attention of the single minded little pests.

He had managed to draw the goblins a good ten feet away from Ruka when the troll charged. Donnie looked on in horror as the huge creature rushed the girl. It was easily twice her size!

The troll closed the gap swiftly and was on top of the girl before he knew it. He watched on in horror as it swung its giant club in a long arc directly at the waiting girl. Ruka, however, did not move. Instead she merely stood her ground.

“Ruka!” Donnie cried in anguish, expected to see the girl crushed under the weight of that club.

Time appeared to slow as he watched the weapon close upon the teen’s skull, yet she still did not move. At the very last second, she dropped her sword and threw both of her hands up in front of her.

What happened next was impossible. Ruka grasped onto the club, swung with all the might of the huge troll, and stopped it cold!

The entire clearing went silent. Everyone froze in place, staring unbelievingly at the sight of the five foot girl holding the troll’s club fast.

Donnie blinked his eyes and looked again. Ruka still stood there, the troll’s club in her outstretched hands.

She had caught the club! Ruka had caught the troll’s club! he thought elatedly. Then he noticed something else. There was a faint golden glow around the Ruka’s body. It was just barely visible, but it was there.

The troll had been throw off balance by the abrupt halt of its attack. It began grunting angrily as it righted itself, then tried to yank its club back. Try as it might though, it could not budge the weapon from the girl’s grasp!

Donnie watched in awe as Ruka’s hair began to stir. It rose on its own accord, the crackling glow of electric arcs skirting across her body. The arcs swiftly grew larger and flew up the handle of the club. They reached the troll in moments, racing up its arm and quickly engulfing its entire body. The troll screamed with rage as electricity danced across its torso, burning it and singed it in numerous places at once. Try as it might though, it could not let go of the club.

Donnie shook himself, realizing there were still three goblins standing in front of him. The little creatures were rooted to the spot, terrified by the spectacle taking place before them. Donnie dispatched one of them quickly and silently, without the other two even noticing.

Meanwhile, Ruka had finished her onslaught. The arcs of electricity died down around her and then disappeared completely.

The troll was finally able to let go of its club, and staggered backward, blackened scars still smoldering on its green mottled skin. The big creature stared down at the girl, half its size, growling and snarling with rage.